Of fortune cookies and flirty waiters
by Never Forget Them
Summary: "Love is like wildflowers...it is often found in the most unlikely places." Sometimes, even fortune cookie fortunes are against you... Or are they rooting for you ? AU, AH, Malec.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello ! Only 23 days before City of Lost Souls comes out ! I'm so excited.  
The idea for this story came to me as I was reading a list of ideas for fortune cookies sayings on a website (a weird place for inspiration to strike, now that I think about it), so I have to tell you neither of the two fortunes present in this story were written by me. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments, Cassandra Clare does.**

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"Alec, do you want to come dancing with me tonight ?"

Alec Lightwood raised his blue eyes from the book he was reading to give his sister a disbelieving stare. He loved Izzy, really, but sometimes she asked stupid questions.

"Why would you think I want to go clubbing ? It's not like I ever said yes," he pointed out when she only stared back at him.

Isabelle scowled before answering heatedly:

"Exactly ! And that's why you could say yes to me for once. It wouldn't kill you to be nice to your sweet little sister once in a while."

Alec raised his eyebrows. Was she really going to try and argue this evening ? Usually she had the common sense to leave him be, as she knew from previous experience how useless it was to try to convince him. He'd never been a party guy.

"I'm always nice to you. You, on the other hand, keep asking me the same question every Friday AND Saturday night, which I think can be considered as harassment, seeing as you've been doing that for three years now."

Isabelle rolled her eyes and threw her long black hair behind her shoulder in an exaggerated gesture.

"Now you're just dramatizing things. Asking mere questions out of sheer concern for your dear unsocial brother can't be considered harassment."

"Maybe not, but constantly trying to hook said brother up with random strangers and embarrassing him thoroughly every time you have the opportunity definitely is."

Alec watched with a bored look his sister gasping loudly, fake shock written all over her pretty face.

"Are you accusing me of embarrassing you on purpose ? I'm sorry, but I never did that. As for hooking up, well, I only introduce you to good guys, and they aren't strangers... not always anyway."

Alec snorted, putting delicately his book next to him, on the sofa. It was obvious this conversation would be long, especially since they had already gotten off topic.

"You're right, Simon wasn't a stranger. He was your poor heterosexual boyfriend, and the first one I didn't totally hate."

"Hey ! He still is my boyfriend. Anyway, that's because I knew you didn't hate him that I suggested you two to go out," Isabelle added helpfully.

"And that was the stupidest idea you'd ever had. He was really embarrassed, I was really closeted, and we really didn't like each other."

Alec shuddered at the memory of that awful day. He was just fifteen, barely beginning to accept himself, and Izzy apparently thought it was absolutely necessary to out him to her boyfriend of two weeks, a geeky friend of Jace's girlfriend, so she suggested to them that they went on a date. Simon had politely but awkwardly declined, and Alec had refused to talk to Izzy for several days. To be fair, Simon already knew about his preferences, and that was why she had talked about it so freely, but he didn't know that at the time.

"Earth to Alec," said Izzy, effectively bringing him back to the present.

"Yes," he said. "The point is, I don't want to go clubbing. Have fun, and don't let any of the boys touch you inappropriately."

He reached out to take his book but Isabelle slapped his hand away.

"No, Alec. You're always cooped up at home. Come on, you're eighteen, why don't you go out and have fun, just once ?"

Alec sighed deeply.

"Clubbing is not fun to me, Izzy. I don't even like dancing and I despise loud places. It annoys me. Staying here reading is just fine though."

Isabelle stomped her foot on the ground loudly ; not far from her, a startled Church ran out of the room in a dignified way.

"I know but, you need to go out sometimes ! And no, going to university doesn't count as going out. Please, Alec."

She was practically pleading by now, and Alec felt his resistance lessen. He was a doting older brother, and he liked making his sister happy. But on the other hand, he really did dislike noisy places and dancing.

"I suggest we make a deal," Alec said carefully. "I agree to going out with you tonight, but on one condition..."

"Whatever it is, I accept !" squealed Isabelle joyfully.

"It really wasn't what I had in mind when I told you that you should go out," Isabelle sighed as she rubbed her tired eyes.

They were currently sitting at a table in a Chinese restaurant. It was Isabelle's favorite, and that was why Alec had chosen it, even though he had never eaten there before. He liked it so far: the decoration was nice and the atmosphere was really peaceful and relaxing – a far cry from the nightclubs Izzy always went to.

"What ?" he said. "It definitely counts as going out, plus you like that place, don't you ?"

"I do, but you sure won't make any friends here."

Alec glared at her.

"I already have friends," he said simply.

Izzy looked skeptical, and Alec guessed he couldn't really blame her: for a social butterfly like her, a guy like him just didn't have any social life. Actually, to most people, his social life was mostly nonexistent.

"Jace doesn't count, Alec," she said. "He's more like a brother than a friend, and anyway I'm sure you only put up with him and his insufferable mood swings because you still have a crush on him," she added with a slight grimace. As much as she liked Jace, she had never encouraged his brother's feelings for him.

"I don't !" exclaimed Alec a little brusquely. "I don't have a crush on him anymore !"

"That's good to know," said suddenly a sarcastic voice coming from Alec's left. "Whoever he is, I'm sure he doesn't deserve you. But I still kindly advise you to speak a little quieter. You don't want everybody in this city to know that you're free, that would cause a riot."

His face flaming red, Alec turned his head to see a smirking waiter looking at him, a writing pad in the hand and a pen in the other. The man didn't look much older than him, with his smooth tanned skin and huge green eyes that somehow reminded him of a cat. He looked Asian, but his slightly slanted eyes weren't the right color, and he had talked without any accent – well, that didn't mean anything, he could very well have been born in New York and still be from Asian descent.

Alec then looked at Izzy, who seemed to be stifling a giggle with all her might, and then at the people in the restaurant. Indeed, some of them were looking in his direction with a slightly puzzled look. He supposed his outburst had been a little too loud, and he flushed at the realization he had just shouted in a rather crowded restaurant that he used to have a crush on a boy. Being out to his friends and family was one thing, this situation was definitely another.

Turning back towards the waiter, Alec whispered an apology before clearing his throat and looking at the menu, pretending to choose what meal he would have. Unfortunately for him, the waiter didn't walk away as he had expected him to.

"Have you chosen your order yet ?" he asked politely, still smiling as if had won the lottery.

A very flustered Alec nodded quietly before finally ordering his meal, looking stubbornly down at his chopsticks. Izzy simply asked the same as him, then, as the waiter turned around and headed towards the kitchen, she grinned at Alec and said:

"I take back what I said. I'm sure you can make _friends _in this restaurant."

Alec didn't like at all the way she emphasized on the word friends.

"What do you mean ?" he asked warily.

She rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Alec, that guy was clearly interested ! Didn't you hear what he said ?"

She was talking excitedly, and Alec knew both from instinct and experience that she already pictured him going out with some waiter he barely even knew. And that she was probably going to embarrass him, once again.

"I'm sure he was just being sarcastic," Alec said. "And anyway I don't even know him. What you said earlier was right, a restaurant isn't a place to make friends, let alone boyfriends."

Izzy looked revolted by Alec's answer.

"What ? I know it's not made for this, but it's still a possibility !"

"A very unlikely possibility," Alec precised while playing idly with his chopsticks in a nervous gesture.

"Alec Lightwood, you're hopeless ! Don't tell me you didn't find him hot ?"

A blush crept over Alec's cheeks, and he cursed himself for being so easily flustered.

"Not at all," he lied blatantly. "He was awfully ugly, even. I couldn't even look at him. Such a horrible face."

Isabelle sent him a commiserating look.

"You're such a bad liar I feel sorry for you. Well, now that I know for sure he's your type -"

"He's not my type !" he protested, and this time he was careful to keep his voice down. He didn't dare saying he wasn't a bad liar, for he knew that would just be pathetic denial.

"If you say so."

The conversation stopped here, as Alec obviously didn't want to talk about it anymore, and Isabelle didn't want to antagonize him too much. She started making small talk with him, and they continued chatting calmly until the now infamous waiter brought them their meals.

Under Izzy's gleeful gaze, he winked at Alec as he deposited carefully his rice bowl onto the table, and sent him a dazzling smile just before going back to his other clients.

Alec was reduced to a blushing mess, not used to being treated this way. Well, in a way, he was used to it: girls at the university often tried to flirt with him. But they were girls and, no matter how nice they were, they didn't appeal to him at all.

Izzy was positively beaming, and for a moment he considered strangling her so that she wouldn't be able to make fun of him. But she was his baby sister, it was practically his duty to endure her mischievous schemes and endless teasing, which is why he didn't kill her when she said:

"So... Are you going to deny the fact that he winked to you too ? You might be missing the love of your life with such an attitude."

He shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

"I'm not denying anything. Merely pointing out that people just don't go out with random waiters they just met, much less fall in love."

"And why not ?" she answered back.

"Because that would be ridiculous and pointless ! I don't know a single thing about him, how could I even like him ?" Before Izzy could answer, he added hastily: "That doesn't matter anyway. What matters is, why is this food so tasteless ?"

Luckily for him, the diversion worked and Izzy immediately defended her favorite restaurant's reputation, praising endlessly the food and the service.

Truthfully, he agreed with mostly everything she said – the food did taste good, and the service was quick and efficient, even though the waiters lacked professionalism. He couldn't really focus on these things though, because his mind was still occupied by the waiter.

How stupid. He didn't even know his name, how could Isabelle expect this to turn into love ?

By the time they had finished their dinner, Alec had reached two definite conclusions: first, it was high time someone told Izzy that nothing, especially not love, could come from a relationship whose basis was a quick encounter at a Chinese restaurant, and second, there was no way he'd go out with someone whose name he didn't even know.

And so, when the flirty waiter arrived, two little cakes in the hands, he ignored his enticing smile the best he could. He instead concentrated on the little biscuit the waiter had given him.

"What is that ?"

Izzy laughed lightly at his wary expression.

"Don't worry, it's not poison. It's a fortune cookie, they always give you one after the meal is finished. You have to open it in half, and you'll discover a little fortune inside. They can contain a prophecy or words of wisdom."

She opened hers and read out loud.

"Grand adventures await those who are willing to turn the corner."

She grinned at Alec.

"See, this applies to you too. Actually, it particularly applies to you."

Alec sent her an exasperated look, then cracked his own cookie in half and read out loud, paling a little as he understood the words:

"Love is like wildflowers...it is often found in the most unlikely places."

Izzy burst into a fit of giggle while Alec glared at the fortune as though it had insulted him. When she calmed down, Izzy said:

"I think you don't have any argument not to flirt with him now," she said, still grinning like a fool.

"I think we should pay the bill and leave," he answered peevishly. "And anyway I still don't even know his name, no matter what some little piece of paper says."

"A piece of paper that's called a fortune, Alec. Don't defy fate," she said jokingly, but she nodded anyway and put on her waistcoat.

They got up and headed towards the door, when suddenly Alec felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and wasn't really surprised to see the grinning face of Izzy's new favorite waiter, looking straight into his eyes.

"Hey, you forgot this. I think it's important you take it with you."

He put a little piece of paper in Alec's palm, and Alec couldn't help but shiver at the touch. He barely had the time to look up that the boy had already left, leaving a bemused Alec behind him.

He lifted the paper and read silently: "Magnus Bane. Call me at ********." Izzy, who had read over his shoulder, giggled again and said mirthfully:

"Well, now that you have a name and a phone number to boot, you really have no excuse not to call him, do you ?"

Blushing furiously, Alec looked at the paper and muttered: "Well... I guess I cannot defeat fate."

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**I'm not really sure how I feel about that story... Even though the plot is a bit silly, I had fun writing it, I even thought about making it a multi-chaptered fic, but at the same time, I'm not sure it would be any good...**

**Anyway, review please ? If you have any remark, good or bad, feel free to tell me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi ! First of all, thank you to all the people who reviewed and/or added this story to their favorites or alerts. You have no idea how happy that made me :) And as you can see, I decided to continue this story. I hope you'll like this chapter too.**

**Disclaimer: As I already said, I don't own the Mortal Instruments. And that's a good thing, because there would be much less plot and much more silliness if I had written it ^^**

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The following day, Alec lay in his bed, staring at his cell as though it held the answers to the greatest questions of life. Questions such as 'Is Izzy ever going to manage to cook something edible ?', 'Why did his sweaters always became brown after a while ?' and, the recenter one, 'Should he call Magnus Bane ?'.

On the one hand, Magnus Bane himself had told him to call him. No, scratch that, Magnus Bane, Izzy, and even a freaking fortune cookie had more or less told him to call him. On the other hand, what was he going to say ? Every time he tried to imagine how the conversation would go, it ended either with the guy not remembering him or laughing at him for taking it seriously.

A sneaky voice inside his head that sounded suspiciously like Izzy told him to stop having imaginative conversations and just call that damn waiter, and he looked at his phone even more intensely. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't anything to be afraid of. In the worst case, he could just hang up. And then change his number, just to be sure. Or call from a phone booth, he knew there was one not that far from his home.

Alec shook his head; it was not the time to start having ridiculous ideas. In a fit of courage, he pushed the "call" key.

A fraction of second later, he was freaking out. What had he done ? Had he just been possessed by a wicked spirit ? Of course, he had said he would call him, and he meant it too, but that didn't mean he was ready to do it now !

"Magnus speaking ! Who are you ?"

Alec thought he was going to faint for a moment. Why couldn't he have been absent ?

"I'm Alec Lightwood," he answered truthfully but very unhelpfully. At the other end of the line, Magnus was quiet. "I mean, you don't know me, but you gave me your number... You said I should call you."

"Oh yes !" the voice screamed, and Alec cringed a little. There was no need to be loud. "I remember you, you have blue eyes, right ?"

Alec blinked. He would have thought Magnus would have recognized him because of his embarrassing outburst at the restaurant, not because of the color of his eyes. He found this oddly sweet, and suddenly he was grateful that Magnus couldn't see his blushing cheeks.

"Yes, I do. And you have green eyes."

As soon as the words had come out of his mouth, he wanted to bash his head against the wall. This was precisely the reason he never wanted to meet new people – he always said silly things when someone attracted him.

"Yes, I do," Magnus said, obviously amused. "Nice to know they made an impression on you... Alec, was it ?"

He nodded mutely, as he always did when he was abashed, before remembering he was on the phone and whispering a small 'yes'. He would have liked to deny he liked Magnus' eyes, but he knew by now that he just couldn't lie, so he saved himself the embarrassment.

"So, Alec, are you free today ?"

Apparently, Magnus didn't like small talk. Neither did Alec, so it was a good thing. Even though calling had been a very hard thing to do for him, now that he had done it and gotten a positive reaction from the guy, he was looking forward to meeting him properly. Maybe it was because of the fact that his heart had been beating a little louder in his chest ever since he heard Magnus' voice, or maybe it was just years of celibacy finally taking their toll on him. Either way, he wanted to see him.

"I am. Do you have something in mind ?"

"I do. There's a coffee shop two streets away from the Chinese restaurant. Would that be alright with you ?"

Alec agreed quickly and, after noting down the address of the coffee shop and the hour of the date, he hung up with a simple "Bye !", not even letting Magnus the time to answer.

Several hours later, as he arrived to the cafe, he was greeted with a very... colorful sight.

The first time he had seen him, Magnus had been working, consequently he was wearing a simple uniform and no extravagant accessories. Alec hadn't tried to picture him in everyday clothes, but if he had done it, the result would probably have been very different from what he was seeing now.

After all, what the man was wearing could hardly be called 'everyday clothes', or at least not the kind Alec would wear. First of all, he wore purple fitting pants, with a black leather belt and almost knee-high combat boots. But his outfit was nothing compared to his face. He had put on eye-liner and pink eyeshadow, which admittedly looked good on him, but the bright purple lipstick was a bit too much to his taste. Wait. Oh gosh. He was wearing _glitter. _Both on his skin and on his hair, which was spiked up. He wore red earrings that shone when the sun hit them right.

Although he was wearing his favorite black sweater and his nicest pair of jeans, that is to say the only one that hadn't faded, he felt terribly underdressed.

Magnus waved a hand covered in rings in front of Alec's eyes, and he jumped, startled.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me the whole afternoon ? I know I'm amazing, but still."

"It's not that," said Alec before he could stop himself, "it's just that you don't look the same as yesterday."

Magnus smirked, and gestured for Alec to follow him – if they continued talking like that, they were never going to enter the coffee.

"So ?" he said as they sat at a table in the corner of the shop, "what was it about my appearance that captivated you so much ?"

"I wasn't captivated, I was just wondering why you wore so much make up. Yesterday you didn't have any," he pointed out.

The answer didn't seem to please Magnus that much, but he let it go and, leaning back in his chair comfortably, he said:

"So, tell me a little about yourself, Alec. We're sitting here, and I still don't know a single thing about you !"

Alec was polite enough not to mention that he didn't know anything about him either and started introducing himself. It was weird, really: he had imagined many scenarios for that situation, both good and bad, but never had he thought it would be so... awkward. It made sense, now that he thought about it, that two people who hadn't even ever talked to each other going on a date would be at least a little bit uncomfortable.

Or, well, one of them would be uncomfortable: Magnus, seemingly very at ease, was listening to him intently, an encouraging smile on his face. Maybe he had already done this a thousand times, or maybe he was just a very confident person.

When Alec finished speaking, Magnus started talking about himself too. He was twenty, two years older than him, he lived alone in a nearby flat in which he liked throwing parties nearly every week-end, and he apparently had the 'most wonderful cat in the entire world'. He actually was part Asian, but his father was American, hence his family name, and he had always lived in New York. He had graduated from high school but never went to college, which was why he worked as a waiter. He was a bit of a fashion addict, and 'a sucker for bashful boys with stunning blue eyes'.

"Thanks," said Alec when he realized a fraction of second later that it was him he was talking about.

"You're quite welcome," Magnus said. "I should be the one thanking you, in fact. I never thought you were actually going to call, with all your mixed signals."

"My mixed signals ?" Alec asked, confused.

Magnus nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, you know, you first check me out like crazy, then you ignore me, then you blush and you try to be sneaky while checking me out once again -"

"I've never done that !" Alec exclaimed. _Or at least, not consciously. _

"If you say so,"Magnus replied with a smirk. "The point is, I'm glad you called. Oh, stop blushing like that, you're making me want to kiss you senseless."

Alec blushed even more at that, and Magnus rolled his eyes, amused.

"Alright, that didn't work. What if you told me a bit more about your interests ? You said you liked reading, didn't you ? What sort of books ?"

Once the conversation had started, the atmosphere wasn't awkward at all anymore. Magnus had a way of making people comfortable, and Alec found himself talking and talking, much more than usual. He somehow got the impression that Magnus was genuinely interested in what he was saying, a feeling he'd almost never managed to get with anyone else, save for Izzy and sometimes Jace.

Several cups of coffee later, Alec glanced at his watch and jumped out of his seat. "Oh God, have three hours already passed ? I have to go home, Izzy's waiting for me. I'm really sorry."

"No problem," said Magnus. "Anyway I have to go too. Will there be a second date ?"

"I hope so," Alec answered honestly. "I had fun today."

A grin lit up Magnus' face.

"So did I. So, let's say... Tuesday evening ? You get to chose the location this time."

"That's nice but... I don't go out often, so I have no idea what place to choose. Maybe to the cinema ?" he suggested nervously.

"That sounds good," Magnus agreed, and he got up. Before leaving, he got close to Alec and put a very chaste kiss on the corner of his lips. Alec's lips tingled at the contact, and his cheeks went beet red.

"See you on Tuesday then," he murmured, watching him walking confidently towards the front door of the shop.

As he was walking home, Alec recapitulated briefly the events of the day: he had called Magnus back, decided to go on a date with him, discovered he was different from what he expected (both in terms of appearance and personality), and had been surprised to realize he liked the person he had seen more than the one he had imagined. All in all, it was a very good day.

However, his happiness was short-lived as a horrible thought came upon him: Izzy was going to ask him why he was late, and as he just couldn't lie, he would have to tell the truth at some point. And knowing her, it was going to be a long and oh-so-mortifying conversation.

On the bright side, that would probably be the first Saturday evening in a long time that she didn't ask him to go clubbing with her. Every cloud had a silver lining, right ?

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**So, what did you think about it ? Let me know please :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys ! Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts and faves. I'm always a bit anxious when I post a new chapter, so I'm very happy to know what people liked ****and/or didn't like about it. Also, I wanted to say I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I should have updated two days ago, but real life got in the way and I didn't want to post a half-finished chapter.**

**I have good news though: I'm on holidays, so if everything goes well you should get updates every three or four days :) **

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"So, in other words, Alec finally found himself a boyfriend ?" Jace said while yawning openly. Next to him, Izzy looked scandalized and Clary was looking at Alec with a compassionate look in the eyes.

It was Monday evening, and Izzy had decided to invite Alec's friends to come to their house, telling them she had "highly important news" to deliver to them. Those highly important news were a very detailed summary of Alec's encounter with Magnus, as well as what she knew of the date.

"How can you say that in such a dismissive tone ? He's finally acting like a social being, why aren't you cheering him on ?" she said.

Jace shrugged.

"To be honest I don't really care about Alec's social life. He already has me as a best friend ; could he ever ask for more ?"

Alec, who had at first been agreeing emphatically with Jace, rolled his eyes at that last comment. Simon, who hadn't said a word since he arrived, decided to intervene:

"Wait... Hadn't Alec already had a boyfriend ? I mean, not recently, but several years ago ? I'm pretty sure Izzy said something like that to me once."

Alec felt the distinct need to hit his sister, but he knew he couldn't do that, so he just glared at her. She smiled prettily, as if to say "well, it's too late to get mad at me anyway", and turned to face Simon.

"I did say that, but it wasn't really a boyfriend. More like a friend with benefits. Anyway it doesn't matter now, I didn't approve of him, and it was before we moved in New York."

Jace ran his hand through his hair.

"Basically, the only difference between then and now is that now you like the guy. He definitely doesn't count as a boyfriend, they only went on a date once. So no need to make such a fuss about it. Right, Alec ?"

He turned towards Alec who nodded, a bit unsure himself. It was true that he didn't consider Magnus his boyfriend, but at the same time he was more or less convinced it was only a matter of time before it came down to that. Or was it wishful thinking ? After all, even if himself had almost no experience in relationships, he was pretty sure that Magnus had had his fair share of boyfriends, judging by the way he'd been totally at ease at their first date. When he really thought it through, there was no reason to think it was going to be an exceptional relationship...

Well, screw logical thinking. He had the power of the fortune cookie with him anyway, which was more or less like having fate on his side. Or something.

"Alec, are you alright ?" asked an obviously worried Clary. "You've gone all pale."

Izzy looked at him closely.

"That's true, you look a bit ill. It's probably because you haven't eaten enough today. I'm going to cook you something !"

As she got up and strode towards the kitchen, Jace was grinning evilly and Alec had become paler than a sheet. He hurried behind her:

"No, really, I'm not hungry at all ! It's useless, I wouldn't be able to eat it anyway !"

Still in the living-room, Jace looked at Simon and Clary and said:

"Honestly, even starving men wouldn't be able to eat Izzy's cooking. I suggest we leave before she decides to feed us too – I don't know about you, but I think it's not time for me to die yet."

After a very tiring and somehow dangerous Monday evening spent trying to prevent Izzy from cooking, Alec spent the whole Tuesday morning hoping something, anything, would happen. College was as boring as it could get, and he was both apprehending and looking forward to his date with Magnus.

He knew he liked him, just as he knew the feeling was at least slightly reciprocated, but he had no idea how serious it was going to get. Some, like Izzy, would consider that the main thrill of a blossoming relationship, but he personally hated that feeling – he had always liked knowing where he stood. They weren't boyfriends yet, and that was fine, but if Magnus had approached him thinking he was going to get a new "friend with benefits", he was dead wrong.

He heard fingers snapping, and when he looked up he saw Jace watching him, his eyebrows raised.

"What's gotten you so worked up ? You're looking at your lunch as though it had killed your whole family, when we both know you should be grateful to eat something that wasn't prepared by your sister."

Alec glared at him.

"I'll have you know that yesterday I managed to talk her out of making dinner. And that's definitely not thanks to you, traitor."

Jace smirked.

"I'm no traitor, I just happen to care about my well-being. Anyway, what's the angry look for ? I know it's not about yesterday, so don't even try. Is it about that oh-so-wonderful almost-boyfriend of yours that Izzy couldn't shut up about yesterday ? Has he already done something to you ?"

Jace's tone was almost threatening, and Alec wondered what his reaction would be if he said "yes".

"Of course not, I haven't even seen him, how could he have done anything ? I'm just in a bad mood."

Jace didn't seem to believe him, but he was distracted by Clary's arrival. As he leaned in to kiss her deeply, Alec frowned one more time and sighed. Why did they have to act like lovebirds the day he was doubting the seriousness of his own relationship ?

As if on cue, his phone vibrated. A small smile made its way to Alec's lips as he read the text.

**Hey there gorgeous. Still ok for tonight ? I thought you might want to meet a little before the beginning of the movie, so we could chat a bit ;)**

He typed his answer quickly, all his previous troubles forgotten.

**Of course. Let's meet up thirty minutes before :)**

Barely ten seconds later, he received Magnus' answer.

**Great. Now I just have to find a plan to seduce you in 30 mins, and it'll be perfect ;)**

The text made his cheeks flush a bit and he smiled.

**Can't wait to see you try :)**

And he truly couldn't wait for Magnus to 'seduce' him.

When Alec arrived in front of the cinema forty minutes before the beginning of the movie, he was surprised to find Magnus already waiting there, once again wearing colorful clothing and make up. His blue painted lips stretched into a bright smile as soon as he saw Alec.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon," he said. "Though I'm more than happy to see you, of course."

Alec smiled back.

"I actually intended to get here before you."

"I see," Magnus smirked. "Already addicted to me, aren't you ? Usually, it happens after the first French kiss, but I guess I'm even better than I thought. Don't worry, I'll never let you go through withdrawal," he added with a wink.

Alec fought a blush and smiled coyly.

"That's reassuring. But you know," he added in an unusual flirty tone, "addicts always need to have more. I hope you're up to the challenge."

He'd been nervous that his poor attempt at flirting would only make Magnus laugh, but the man's eyes sparkled with excitement and a whole different sort of smile spread across his face.

"You bet I am."

He stared straight into Alec's eyes, and Alec couldn't tear his gaze away from these green eyes. His heart was pounding in his chest and he suddenly felt very tense.

Was it the moment where he was supposed to throw himself into Magnus' arms and get the kiss of his life ? Or were they just supposed to smirk one last time before going back to their talk ?

He tentatively took a step forward, still not breaking eye contact with Magnus.

It was apparently the right move, seeing as Magnus immediately closed the distance and held him, an arm wrapped loosely around his waist, while the other hand was slowly stroking his cheek. Alec shivered, and Magnus, probably believing it had something to do with the chilly wind, came even closer to him, their bodies touching, and tightened his hold a little. He then leaned into him and, finally, kissed Alec.

His lips were distractingly soft, Alec thought. Had it something to do with the lipstick he always wore ? He would have thought it would make his lips sticky, but obviously it was not the case.

He was interrupted in his musings when he felt Magnus' tongue lick his lips, and he opened his mouth obediently. The rest of the kiss was a blur of pleasure and growing desire.

When they finally broke apart to breathe, Magnus laughed a little.

"And here I thought you were a pure and innocent creature. Instead of that, I get a naughty little boy who kisses like a god. Well, guess that will have to do," he joked.

This time, Alec couldn't control his blush and his cheeks turned a bright red. Bravely trying not to revert into his usual shyness, he said:

"You weren't bad yourself. I can understand why people would become addicted to that kind of kisses. Was that your perfect plan to seduce me in 30 minutes ?"

Magnus grinned.

"Are you seduced ?" he asked as an answer.

Feeling braver than ever, Alec admitted:

"Definitely."

"That's a shame, 'cause I had so much other things planned to convince you in case the kiss didn't work," he said mischievously. He licked his lips slowly, and Alec couldn't help but follow the movement with his eyes.

"I see," he said in a dazed voice. "Maybe... maybe you could show me later."

"Maybe I will," answered Magnus. "Depends on whether you'll be a nice boy or not during our movie date."

That last word reminded Alec that they were right in front of the cinema. He looked around him, and indeed, they were quite a lot of people queuing to buy their tickets. He paled considerably.

"I hadn't realized there were so many people around us," he said. "I don't really like PDA."

Magnus raised his eyebrows before laughing mirthfully.

"Really ? Your tongue in my mouth had managed to convince me that you didn't mind kissing in public. It was a bit misleading, you know ?" Before Alec had the time to answer, he added: "But it's alright. I won't kiss you unless I'm sure nobody can see us. For example if we're stuck in the back of a very dark room, and everyone in that room has his eyes glued to a giant screen..."

Alec's cheeks started to burn, and he knew his face was probably the color of a tomato.

"What ? No way I'm kissing you in a movie theater ! That would be rude, and people can see us ! That wasn't what I meant when I said later !" he protested.

Far from taking offense, Magnus started to giggle.

"You're so easy to tease. Don't worry, I won't lay a single finger on you. Well, not during the movie anyway. When it ends, however, I can't promise you anything."

True to his words, Magnus hadn't done anything to him during the movie – well, he had distracted him by his mere presence, but that wasn't really his fault. He hadn't pounced on him when it ended either, though Alec still wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Once again, that was a very nice date," Magnus said as they arrived on the sidewalk. "But short, much too short. Why don't you come to my house next time ? We'll have plenty of time to talk, to watch dumb TV shows, or anything you want... And that way you can come whenever you feel like it ; you just send me a text and, if I'm there, I'll reply immediately."

"That's a great idea," Alec said before impulsively kissing Magnus who wasn't expecting it and nearly tripped over his own feet.

When the kiss ended, he gave Alec his address and made him promise to come at least once this week, and not to hesitate and text him when he felt like it. Looking at the little paper on which Magnus' address was written, Alec felt his heart beating a little bit faster. He definitely was going to see Magnus more often, and that made him so happy he smiled like an idiot during all the way back home, not caring about the fact that Izzy was going to embarrass him again when he came home, or that tomorrow he had classes and he still hadn't done any homework.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello ! :)**

**Sorry about this chapter, I know I published it later than I said I would, but I had a hard time writing it. I don't know why, but I never managed to be satisfied with it. **

**Anyway, thank you very much for the reviews, and I hope you'll like this chapter too !**

* * *

The first time Alec went to Magnus' flat was three days after their movie date; it was Friday and he finished his classes at one PM, therefore he could stay there the whole afternoon.

To be completely honest, he hadn't liked it at first. For one thing, it was located in Brooklyn, and Alec hated Brooklyn. Moreover, the building in which Magnus lived was more than unwelcoming: its entryway smelled like cat urine and looked rather dirty. Fortunately, Magnus' flat didn't smell bad, and it wasn't dirty... but God was it untidy.

It was obvious that Magnus wasn't into housework, and that he didn't care much for order. DVD s were scattered around the floor in front of the TV set, the couch had been invaded by sweaters and shirts (did that mean Magnus liked to walk around shirtless ? And was that supposed to be good or bad news ? Alec was unsure), and the coffee table had nearly become invisible under the horrendous amount of magazines on top of it. Luckily, Alec had never really been bothered by untidiness.

As for Magnus, he considered the messiness in his apartment 'an excellent way to always find your things', and had therefore no intention to clean it anytime soon.

"Though if you mind it to the point of not coming here anymore, I promise I'll make a little effort to make the living-room look more or less presentable," he added after a moment of reflexion.

Alec simply laughed.

"No, I don't really care. It just surprised me. I wouldn't have pegged you as the messy type... I was sure you were a clean freak just like Jace, actually."

Magnus cocked his head to the side.

"Who's Jace ?" he asked in a curious tone. "I thought your brother's name was Max, wasn't it ?"

"It is," Alec confirmed, pleased to see that Magnus had memorized his sibling's name. "Jace is my best friend. I used to spend time at his home, when we were in high school, and his house is the tidiest place I've ever seen. He's probably the only kid whose mother never had to force to clean his room," he added as an afterthought.

"I see," Magnus said. He looked as though he was deep in thought. "He _is_ your best friend, but you _used to_ spend time at his home ? How come ?"

Alec fidgeted a bit, not liking the turn the conversation had taken. He couldn't blame Magnus, it was a legitimate question after all, but he didn't like talking about his old crush on Jace. And he liked even less talking about when Jace and Clary got together.

"Well, in fact he got himself a girlfriend, and I wanted to give them space, you know ?" he finally answered with a smile.

Magnus nodded slowly, his green eyes locked on Alec's face.

"That's sweet of you," he said. "So, what do you want to do today ?"

Alec had no idea what he wanted to do: he mostly came here to see Magnus, and he hadn't planned anything.

They ended up lazily sitting on the sofa, watching _What Not To Wear. _Well, Magnus was watching _What not to wear, _and Alec was watching Magnus. Today he wore less make up than usual, and he had let his hair down. Alec wondered what it would feel like to run his hand through it. Would it feel as soft as it looked ?

A few minutes went by until Alec realized that said hair seemed really close to his face. Much closer than before, actually. He blinked slowly: Magnus was still sitting at the same place though, his head resting on top of an orange vest. So, if Magnus had not moved but his head was closer to Alec's than before, there was only one explanation...

Suddenly Magnus turned his head towards him, effectively interrupting his thoughts. He was smirking, but when his eyes met Alec's panicked ones, he pouted.

"Aww, you realized what you were doing. That's so sad, I just loved watching you get closer to me with that dreamy look in your eyes. Do you want to kiss me that badly ?"

Alec suddenly felt like bashing his head against the wall – how could he have not noticed he was slowly but surely getting closer to Magnus ? They were mere centimeters apart now, and now that Alec was seeing Magnus' face and not his hair, the proximity was almost intoxicating.

He blushed and answered bluntly:

"It's not that. I was kind of... obsessing over your hair." As Magnus raised his eyebrows, he explained: "It's the first time I see you with your hair down, and I've been wanting to touch it ever since I arrived here." Emboldened by Magnus' delighted grin, he added : "But now that you mention it, I guess I wouldn't mind kissing you while stroking your hair."

Magnus laughed before grabbing Alec's face to pull him into a passionate kiss that somehow became a full make out session as Magnus slowly laid down on the couch, dragging Alec down with him.

"So... Did my hair live up to your expectations ?" Magnus joked when they finally pulled away, both breathless and red-faced.

Alec nodded and looked down at his hands.

"Oh my God... They're covered in glitter," he said mournfully, causing Magnus to chuckle joyfully. He stared at Alec with a contemplative look in the eyes before murmuring:

"Now that I think about it, you would look good with glitter... Well, you already look good, but you would look even better."

Alec shook his head firmly.

"No way I'm wearing glitter."

Magnus looked a bit disappointed, but he shrugged.

"Oh well, it was worth trying anyway."

* * *

Several weeks went by easily, and Alec was starting to like his life more and more. First, the more he went out with Magnus, the less Izzy tried to make him go out or to ask improper questions about their relationship – it seemed that, after all, she really used to do it out of concern and not voyeurism or anything like that. Well, now she insisted on meeting him, but it wasn't really a problem. Having a steady relationship made him feel happy and giddy, and consequently he felt much less annoyed whenever he saw Clary and Jace kissing heavily right in front of him – he knew how hard it was to refrain himself sometimes, even in public places, so he understood them. Of course, things weren't perfect; for example his father still pretended he didn't exist and his mother still pretended his boyfriend didn't exist, but it had been that way ever since he came out, so he was kind of used to it.

Other than that, his relationship was going great. He and Magnus saw each other frequently, and he even had the spare key to his apartment, so that he could go there whenever he wanted.

And that was what he intended to do that evening. This morning, his parents had announced them out of the blue that they were going out for the night. As a result, Izzy had planned to spend the evening at home with Simon, and as much as he didn't like the idea of his little sister alone with a boy, he had promised her to let them have their romantic evening.

Alec was climbing the stairs leading to Magnus' flat when he heard voices screaming. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was obviously a very heated argument. The first voice, the louder one, was apparently a woman's voice, shrill and high-pitched, and the second was... Magnus ? Alec sped up and then stood near to the door, listening intently.

The voices undoubtedly came from Magnus' apartment. But who was he fighting with ? As far as Alec knew, Magnus didn't have problems with anyone; he had many friends and was well liked by everyone at his workplace. A scream louder than the others interrupted his thoughts:

"YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING DRUNK ASS ! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT !"

Magnus answered much more quietly, and so Alec couldn't hear what he said. He felt terribly uneasy, as though he was listening on something very private that didn't have anything to do with him. Probably because he was indeed listening on something very private that wasn't his business. But... Now Magnus was his boyfriend, wasn't he ? Therefore he had the right to know if he had serious problems. It was his duty to make sure his boyfriend was alright.

Once again, Alec was interrupted in his musings by a loud noise: this time it was the noise of something breaking, as though someone had broken a glass... or most likely thrown it. It was followed by an annoyed sound and rather loud complaining.

"It's useless trying to make that damn asshole understand anything, he looks like he's going to pass out anyway. I'll come back when you're sober !"

Then loud footsteps made their way towards the door. Alec bolted away from it, not wanting the person that was going to come out to know that he had been listening to a part of the argument. He climbed down a few steps and, when he heard the door snapping shut, he turned around and pretended he just arrived, climbing the stairs while whistling innocently.

The woman that was going out of Magnus' place looked older than he'd imagined ; she had to be at least forty years old. Her black hair was neatly combed in a bun, and she held her head high, walking proudly in the shabby corridor. She didn't look anything like the hysteric girl Alec had pictured in his mind ; on the contrary, she was the embodiment of composure and dignity. She glanced at Alec from the corner of her eyes and sent him a despising look. It barely lasted a second, but Alec felt his stomach drop – did she know he had been spying on their conversation ? No, she couldn't, and anyway he had barely heard anything.

In front of Magnus' door, Alec took a deep breath before entering, still not entirely sure he was making the right choice. If Magnus had just had a fight with someone, he probably wanted to be left alone.

The first thing Alec noticed when he stepped into the living-room was the strong stench of alcohol, and he remembered what the woman had screamed a bit earlier. Well, he knew that Magnus wasn't a good-for-nothing ass, but it seemed more than likely that he was drunk.

That was confirmed when he spotted Magnus sprawled all over his couch, one of his legs dangling over it, almost touching the ground. His hair looked messy, and his eyes were open but unfocused. It was a rather pathetic sight, and Alec now regretted entering the room – not because Magnus disgusted him, but because he knew that if it were him, he wouldn't want anybody to see him in such a state.

But it was too late to go home now. Magnus was looking at him and a small drunken smile appeared on his face.

"Hey," he said. "Thought you were staying home today ?"

His speech wasn't that slurred, but he didn't sound all that good either. Alec approached cautiously and sat right next to him. He started stroking his hair in a soothing motion and explained quickly his 'deal' with Izzy.

"I see," Magnus said, "you're being a veryy good older brother."

He sighed happily, and put his head on Alec's lap, obviously enjoying the hand that was running through his hair. He looked as though he was going to fall asleep in a matter of seconds, and Alec wondered if he should let him and ask questions later. However, Alec had never been one for subtlety or patience, and the words escaped him before he could stop them:

"Magnus... When I came here, I heard people arguing, and then I saw a woman go out of your flat. Was she a relative of yours ? She looked Asian."

He felt Magnus tense, but barely a second later the man waved his hand in the air in a dismissive gesture.

"Don't worry about it, it was my aunt. She was just mad 'cause I threw a party in here and got wasted."

Magnus slowly sat up and, putting his arms around Alec's neck to support himself, started to kiss and nip at his jaw. Meanwhile, Alec tried to think about what Magnus had just said. It was a very plausible explanation: Magnus still wasn't twenty-one, so it was understandable that his aunt wouldn't like him to get drunk. But still, something seemed off about this.

Maybe it was the way the woman had yelled profanities at his nephew that didn't fit the situation: a woman irritated by her young relative drinking might be rude and angry out of concern, but never downright insulting. But telling that to Magnus would be admitting that he'd actually spied and heard part of the exchange, and he didn't want to seem like a stalker.

A particularly hard bite on his neck made him unable to think, and he tried weakly to push Magnus off of him – normally he had more than enough strength to do so, but he didn't want to hurt Magnus while he was so far gone, and besides he wasn't even sure he really wanted him to stop. It did feel pretty good.

"Come on, Magnus," he breathed. "You're going to leave hickeys, and tomorrow it'll be awkward with - ah !"

A pathetic moan escaped him as Magnus climbed onto his lap, his legs on either side of him. He was still kissing his neck with passion, and his hands had disappeared under Alec's shirt. Without thinking, Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus' waist to bring him even closer. It was Magnus' turn to moan, and Alec immediately chastised himself: what was he doing ? Magnus was obviously still drunk, he couldn't take advantage of him ! However... They had already done things like that when Magnus was perfectly sober, so he knew for a fact that he wasn't doing anything his boyfriend would have disapproved. And anyway they could always talk about that woman tomorrow, when he would be sober.

Magnus' hands descended lower, first stroking his stomach and then...

"Alright, now stop that," Alec said, holding both of Magnus' wrists with his right hand.

"What ? Why ?" Magnus whined. "I like it. And you like it. You're hard !" he added, giggling for no apparent reason.

The mood was now completely destroyed for Alec. In his normal state, Magnus didn't whine, neither did he giggle. He pushed him off of him then stood up, trying to look as dignified as possible.

"Yeah, I am, but that doesn't matter," he said. "I think you should sleep now, alright ?" he added a bit more gently, but still very firmly.

"It's too early to sleep," Magnus said, but he lay down anyway. Alec sighed and looked at Magnus as he yawned and fell asleep almost immediately. That must have been because of the alcohol, because Magnus had been right on one point – it was seven PM, much too early to go to sleep, especially for someone who usually spent his Saturday nights partying...

Wait. Suddenly, Alec remembered what else had seemed so strange about Magnus' explanation. He had said he threw a party and got wasted, but, who would throw a party during the day ? Moreover, there wasn't a single thing changed in the flat, and Alec had already seen the absolute wreck it became after a party. Magnus' breath still reeked of alcohol, so it couldn't have been a party he threw the night before.

Alec sighed and headed towards the kitchen – if he was going to spend the evening being anxious and wondering what could have happened today, at least he wasn't going to do so with an empty stomach. He was stopped in his tracks by the sight of a broken vase lying on the floor, but he shrugged it off. He had heard the sound of a glass breaking, so he should have been expecting such a sight. Anyway, he had enough questions in his head, and he was determined to get answers tomorrow.

That night, as he lay in the bed inside of the guest room, desperately trying to fall asleep, he remembered fondly the first days of his relationship, where his only concerns had been whether or not it would work out. They weren't that far away, he realized: after all, only a month had passed. But somehow, he felt like something had changed today. Probably because, for the first time, he had been confronted with the fact that his boyfriend wasn't the perfect guy he had always pictured. It suddenly dawned on him that, like every person in the world, Magnus lied, had bad days and people that hated him, and probably other problems too. For some reason, it didn't annoy or disappoint him. It just made him wish that one day, Magnus would trust him enough to tell him the truth, and that he would be able to take care of Magnus in moments like this, to understand him and to help him. And the sooner, the better.

* * *

**This chapter was less cheerful than the others, I know, but I can already tell you that this story won't be tragic or anything like that. It's mostly fluff and silly things like that ^^. It's just that sometimes, people have problems, and I didn't want my story to be too unrealistic. Review please ? :)**


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